Musicians intimately understand sound, usually forging a relationship with a particular instrument and all of the sounds it makes. Students in the Allan Hancock College Sound Technology Department take a different approach, using sophisticated soft- and hardware that can emulate every concert and folk instrument known, as well as forge entirely new sounds.
The upcoming Soundscapes concert is a yearly recital that features music created by students in sound technology classes at Hancock in both the current spring semester and the previous fall session. Marcus Engelmann, sound technology and music instructor at the college, arranged the program, which consists mostly of recorded music.
“It’s kind of like a concert of pre-recorded works,” Engelmann said. “In the past, there have been live performances, but probably the great majority of music we hear today is recorded rather than live performance, so it’s kind of the new ‘normal’ way to hear music.”
Engelmann teaches several sound technology classes, including Intro to Electronic Music, Intro to Sound Recording, and a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) class. The amount of terminology and technology the students must learn is one thing, Engelmann explained, but putting it all into practice is another.
“Some if it is technically understanding the programs in terms of how you want to manipulate the arrangement of a piece,” he explained. “In some cases they were designing their own sounds in synthesizers or manipulating digital audio and creating new sounds.”
Hancock’s music department has a room of computer workstations, which include MIDI keyboards. The instruments, paired with the computers, allow students to record and synthesize their own music in real time. It’s important to stay up to date with computer technology, and the college has been able to, thanks to funding from a few locations, Engelmann said.
“Two things have been very helpful,” he said. “There have been some Measure I funds, which help with technology, and the Patty Boyd Fund has helped us with software and computers.”
The Soundscapes concert will take place at the forum building at Hancock, near PCPA’s Severson Theatre. The sloped, theater-style seating in the building is ideal for the concert because it will include digital projection. Some of the featured videos will be student produced. The music is mostly instrumental, Engelmann said, but varied.
“For the most part, it’s original compositions,” he said. “Most are instrumental and a certain amount of it tends to be dance-oriented music, like hip-hop or electronic dance music, but it varies from piece to piece. Some of them are a little more orchestral than others.”
The electronic taste in music making is certainly something apparent in current pop music, and it appeals widely to many young people, including students entering Engelmann’s program. Many students, he explained, may arrive with a certain amount of experience already.
“I think part of it is that it has become so accessible and relatively inexpensive for some people,” he said. “In many cases you can do with software now what used to take a hardware synthesizer worth thousands of dollars to do. I have students coming in who have years of experience and are already working in a sophisticated way, and it didn’t used to be that way.”
Singing in Spanish
The Allan Hancock College Singers present a spring concert celebrating Spanish and Latino composers on May 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, Cook Street and Broadway, Santa Maria. More info: 922-6966, Ext. 3252, or hancockcollege.edu.
Live at the Chumash
The Chumash Casino Resort presents Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan on May 8 at 8 p.m. at the Chumash Casino Resort, 3400 E. Highway 246, Santa Ynez. Cost is $25, $35, and $45. More info: 1-800-CHUMASH or chumashcasino.com.
Sharing the sound
The Allan Hancock College Concert Band performs its spring concert on May 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 2970 Santa Maria Way, Santa Maria. Cost is $10, $5 for seniors. More info: 922-6966, Ext. 3252, or hancockcollege.edu.
Open mic night
The Bookworm presents an open mic event every second Saturday of the month with featured performer Kailey Stevens on May 10 at 7 p.m. at the Bookworm, 230 E. Betteravia Road, Suite K, Santa Maria. More info: 922-4282, quest@thebookwormcali.com, or facebook.com/thebookwormcali.
Triple Down
The Blacklake Golf Resort presents a Wednesday night summer concert series featuring the Triple Down Theory on May 14 at the Blacklake Golf Resort, 1490 Golf Course Lane, Nipomo. More info: 343-1214, Ext. 400, or blacklake.com.
Wednesday night live
Ca’ Del Grevino Café and Wine Bar presents live music every Wednesday night including a performance by Phil Salucci on May 14 at the Café and Wine Bar, 400 E. Clark Ave., Santa Maria. More info: 937-6400 or dcp@grevino.com.
From Russia with music
The Orthodox Church of the Annunciation presents a concert by the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble, who will perform Russian Orthodox scared music and Russian folk music on May 15 at 7 p.m. at the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, 877 Francine Lane, Santa Maria. Suggested donation is $15. More info: 543-2261 or olgahowe@gmail.com.
The Sun shines
Standing Sun Winery features the Standing Sun Concert Series, including Queen Caveat on May 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Standing Sun Wines, 92 2nd St., Buellton. More info: 904-8072 or standingsunwines.com.
Right off the runway
The Radisson Hotel offers live music Fridays and Saturdays, including Juan Marquez performing May 9 and 10 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 3455 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria. More info: 928-8000.
Hot off the vine
The D’Vine Wine Bar and Bistro features Greasy Kid Stuff on May 10; Audition Night performs May 13; and Dan Mally performs May 14, with all shows starting at 7:30 p.m. at the D’Vine Wine Bar and Bistro, 107 W. Ocean Ave., Lompoc. More info: 430-8356 or facebook.com.
Juicy jams
Creative Juices Lounge presents live music including the The Spaces Between live on May 9 and Vance from Resination on May 10 performing from 7 to 10 p.m. at the lounge, 874 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe. More info: 219-0518 or creativejuiceslounge.com.
Maverick jams
The Maverick Saloon offers live entertainment, including Teddy Spanke and the Tex Pistols on May 9 at 8 p.m. “Concert on the Deck” features Big Steve and Little Guy on May 10 at 3 p.m. The Teddy Spanke Band performs on May 10 at 8 p.m. followed by “Late Night with guest DJs” at 11:30 p.m. “Suds, Song, and Sandwiches” will feature John Lyle live on May 11 at 3 p.m. at the saloon, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. More info: 686-4785 or mavericksyv@aol.com.
Contact Arts Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 8-15, 2014.